


Let 's Start From Here

by motokomei



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon), 史帝芬宇宙(Steven Universe)
Genre: F/F, Minor Ruby/Sapphire (Steven Universe), Not Canon Compliant, Past Pearl/Rose Quartz (Steven Universe), Post-Episode: s05e18 A Single Pale Rose
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-26
Updated: 2018-06-26
Packaged: 2019-05-28 19:56:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15056630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/motokomei/pseuds/motokomei
Summary: After Ruby and Sapphire 's wedding, all things should be fine now, and that means Pearl can see Garnet again.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Greetings from Taiwan! Here my first fanfic written in English is!:D  
> Please note that English isn't my mother tongue, so if there 's any mistake or confusing sentence, feel free to leave comments to point it out, then I 'll fix it asap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is finished before the latest promo video, so it 's probably not canon compliant.
> 
> PS: Chapter 2 is the same story but written in Traditional Chinese, you can skip it if you can 't read Chinese.

 

"...... Please, I need to talk to Garnet." after the wedding, Pearl immediately asked Ruby and Sapphire.

"I think it's about time..." Sapphire said plainly.

Ruby grinned,"Yep!",then picked up her lover.

Once both petite gems exchanged kisses, the red and blue light began to blend, and in the blink of an eye, it turned into maroon-purple.

"Garnet! " Though the light hadn't stabilized yet, Pearl had already stepped forward and extended her arms to embrace the figure regardlessly.

After her form established, Garnet took the other gem soundlessly, tightening her arms, all of which were as naturally as the condensation between the water droplets, without the slightest reluctance.

"I finally get to see you again, Garnet..." Pearl buried her face in the other 's chest, and she could feel the small metallic hoop, on the ring finger of the fusion 's left hand, right under her ribs.

The taller gem raised her hand and stroked the peach-colored hair tenderly. Her thick lips parted then whispered, "Pearl."

The call with a strong accent made the slender gem jump, then she retreated like a startled animal." Oh stars ...! I 'm not, I  'm sorry, I should have asked your permission first ──"

"No, calm down." Garnet stated evenly and reached for the other 's shoulder. "I've heard Steven, Ruby, and Sapphire explained. It's okay. I'm not angry."

"...most unlikely, with you." This sentence prompted the white gem to clench her lower lip.

Silence came along.

But Pearl didn't feel frightened. She knew that silence was only because the fusion wasn't good at expressing emotions. At least, the slight trembling from her shoulder told her this way.

Of course, she didn't forget that this entire incident had originated from Rose's plan. She also knew that she could not get away with crimes as an accomplice, and that was why she had to confess to Garnet.

"I, uh, I really want to talk about this, and I think I still owe you a solemn apology with complete interpretation, Garnet, when I ..." she faltered, doing her best trying to explain the circumstance with details.

However, as in the past,  upon this intention popping up, she became like a marionette,  hands had been unconsciously raised, searing her mouth firmly, only a series of vague sobs could be sent.

For the last eons, Garnet had thought that this was just a way for the pale gem to express her emotions. If there were no attached comments, this scene was more like the one is trying to conceal her grief.

She heard about that diamond had the absolute control over pearls, but in the juncture, witnessing it bring about pure fear and a reflexive thought to fall back, which horripilated her more than seeing Blue diamond visiting the Earth.

As well she realized that even though she had realized the context of the incident, she could not restrain her anger. "... She shouldn't have done that to you. "

Pale gem violently shook her head, making stuffy sound without halt, tears forming in the corner of her eye as her face crumpled so intensely that creased with wrinkles.

"This isn't fair to you!" In the midst of her wrath, Garnet could hear the strident sound from her grinding teeth. She also heard her knuckles cracking.

Once Pearl noticed that the force against her hand weakened, and the choking sensation in her throat was gradually easing, she immediately grabbed the other's arms."No, no! Garnet, this is what I deserve ... "

Familiar with the fusion for nearly 6,000 years, she can predict that the other will definitely refute her, so she scrambled ahead and said, "It was I who chose to support this plan, and now I have to bear the consequences of my decision."

As her eyes lifted, Pearl could clearly see the reflection of her ashamed expression in the non-transparent visors, which reminded her of the previous communication hub incident.

But this time was different, she had promised Garnet that she would choose to be strong, and she wouldn't need anyone to tell her what to do anymore.

Swallowing nervously, Pearl slowly started, "When you were ...off for a while, I thought about a lot of things ..."

"Although I know what I'm saying now seems to be excuses, but at first I, I really didn't expect all this, especially the reaction of the other diamonds ... ", the habit guided her to retract her hands and surround herself.

If guilt was a tangible weapon, then undoubtedly she would be shattered into shards on the spot.

"When the battle ended in this way, for all those years, I felt so struggling with this hidden secret."

" 'It's all because of me', this cognition is always chasing me. Because of my thoughtless action, everyone was suffered... ", her throat contracted irregularly, making her voice erratic.

She could hear herself from her gem, begging her not to go on telling, but she forced herself to say. "Especially you, Garnet, it tormented me severely to hide the truth from you, because I know──it would hurt you so much, I couldn't even imagine how devastated you will be ...when you found out everything you believed was just an elaborate lie."

She closed her eyes as she spoke, fearing that if she saw the expression of the fusion at the moment, she would confront the worst mental breakdown.

"Please trust me, I've thought about telling you the truth thousand times, but I can't, no matter how hard I try ...", biting the lower lip, admitting her unbearable mistakes caused her tears forming silently. "I 'm just a pearl, how can I resist the essence of the pearls, which means unconditional obedience to their masters ..."

However, she did not want Garnet to be distracted by her tears, so she flexed her cheek muscle and successfully built a smile. "So, I must keep the secret, and whenever I felt guilty, I used my affection to Rose as an excuse... You know, everything I did, I did for her'."

Although at best it was a wry smile, and in such a situation smiling was somewhat strange, she still considered it was better than crying.

Moreover at the very least, when she tried her best to gloss over her fragility, she wouldn't be agitated about thinking Garnet was listening to these things.

"I believed that I had done nothing wrong. Later, I even convinced myself if I told the truth, you'll never look directly at me again, because you will realize that I was not the 'Pearl belonged to no one, whom I claimed to be, and it will cause me to lose you forever ..."As soon as the sentence finished, she regretted.

Because she found out that her tears had spilled down uncontrollably. She lowered her head in no time and secretly hoped that the fusion wouldn't notice.

"However, ironically ... I hadn't realized that my twisted mind would eventually cause me to make another irreparable mistake──that I deceived you out of my own desire, more than once, furthermore it 's about fusion, as a matter of meaning to you." As the topic returned to the past mistakes she made, the calmness she deliberately created was completely disintegrated.

She gave up and buried half her face in palm, and she could feel the compunction and remorse seeping out between her fingers.

"Stars, I, I, oh, Garnet, I'm really... all of this, I'm really sorry." It was the only words she could squeeze out among her sobs.

She doubted if the fusion could discern the broken syllables, and at the same time, she noticed an extra weight on her shoulders.

"... No, Pearl, I'm the one who should apologize, to make you think you need to carry the secret alone. " The repentance words from Garnet made her freeze.

She slowly looked up and gaze at the face with visors, the fusion 's expression was like...? She could not be sure, the blurred vision weakened her ability to distinguish the other 's status.

"If, if I could have known this earlier, I might have been able to provide more practical assistance when you had to face these memories." said the fusion who had pulled that slender body in her arms.

Stunned, Pearl felt overwhelmed, after all, this kind of responses was not what she had expected from the other gem.

"And you don't have to be afraid that you will lose me. I 'm telling you now──it's impossible." The steady voice continued, "I will always be here for you."

Warm embrace brought relief to her, and before she realized that she had stopped sobbing, she shook her head and said with a nearly mute voice," Your kindness is greatly appreciated... But, Garnet, you couldn't have known, and even if you had, by us alone it wouldn't change anything ."

She sniffled. Perhaps it was crying made her tired,  her tone sound more prosaic than expected.

"Don't give up like this. Pearl... You deserve to be free. Even Pink Diamond can't deprive you of this right." No need to tilt her head up to confirm, Pearl sensed the other 's deliberate indignation from the slightly trembling voice.

The force exerted on the hindbrain increased, inducing her to put her forehead on the other's shoulder. All she could feel was the familiar warmth flowing through her chest.

On top of that, she could not restrain her lips from rising.

This has always been the case, not just on the battlefield, every time when she feels disturbed, hesitant, anxious, or hopeless, Garnet was always there, helping her, comforting her, encouraging her, inspiring her courage to challenge those seemingly impossible tasks, and giving her the impetus to continue persevering in the struggle.

"No... Garnet, she really can't." Pulling them apart a little, Pearl stretched out her index finger, putting against the plump lips.

"── I am still free, even though I have been constrained, but as long as I do not mention it, then this restriction become nothing, right?" She tried to get the other 's approval with a relaxed tone and a rhetorical question, only to get another silence.

However this time, the face half covered by the shades seemed to be calm as usual, Pearl could hardly tell what the fusion was thinking about. This made her feel anxious.

She told herself, nevertheless, that Garnet needed time to think about the question she asked, not to mention that Ruby and Sapphire may also be talking about previous conversations.

With various voices reverberating in the brain, it usually made people prone to reticence.

She knew better, though, she still wanted to do something for Garnet, even if it was merely a simple gesture to soothe the mood. She was doing this because she knew the other one would do the same for her.

She pulled the other 's wrist and unfolded the pair of gem-embedded palms.

The thumb gently swiped back and forth across the facets of both gems. Pearl can feel Ruby and Sapphire inside, which engendered a grateful affair from her chest.

She couldn't help wondering if it were not for the steadfast love between these two gems, Garnet wouldn't have been presented. Much less she would be able to stand here and appreciate this absolutely beautiful existence at this moment.

Finally, Garnet spoke again, "I can't accept that she silenced you eternally..."

The low voice sounds hurt and grieving.

──All of this was for her.

Garnet did care about her,  with acknowledgment of that, warmth started diffusing from her chest into her whole body, cheeks stained with sky blue.

"Ah, that's not, wait, I'm sorry, just ... I think I might need, I need to explain more accurately..." She cleared her throat.

"I said all these things not because 'I gave up ', but because 'I understood ', or it should be said that you made me understood."

"I spent too much time repenting and mourning the past so that my pace had been dragged down, but I don't want to go on like this anymore.” It still embarrassed her to admit her mistakes, but she has made up her mind that this time she will not shrink back,furthermore,she will take a big step forward.

"So, I was thinking, I, um, can we stop brooding over the things that can't be changed?" She said cautiously, hoping Garnet would understand, "because right now I prefer to focus on the present, and each other ..."

Across the visors, she vaguely perceived Garnet was looking straight at her, bashful feelings entrenched her whole head, making her unable to figure what to say, "Er, that is to say, can ... I, with you, let us ...let 's start from here? "

Under non-special circumstances, quietly listening to the slender gem 's word was always Garnet 's principle.

...but there is something wrong.

Once the pale gem's proposal was fully stated, she detected that the future has changed dramatically.

The purple eye on forehead began to explore the future, at the supercritical speed, so fast that it is like looking at a constantly changing colors.

She could hear Ruby shouting distantly, and Sapphire just stared at those swirling fragments.

Then she saw the fate that was supposed to be either being rubbed into one, or being eradicated to none, even the line between memory and prediction began to blur.

This had happened a few times in the past, but not once had caused her to have a splitting headache like now.

Under the pain, her hands pressed on temples, almost unable to maintain physical and mental coordination. Even if she avoided coming undone right on the spot, she failed to keep the shades remained.

Then it was like suddenly swallowed by weightlessness, she lost her balance.

Catching sight of the maroon body tumbling down, Pearl hold the middle of the torso tight in reflexive, but the tall stature was too heavy to hold, for someone without enough strength, especially the other was in the nearly unconscious state.

She put the maroon gem down as gently as possible, inadvertently forming a straddling posture on the other.

"My stars! Garnet...! You look painful. What happened?" she asked, her tone filled by anxious.

However, the integration of Garnet 's brain was completely devoted to receiving intelligence from future, no answer would be given to any question.

Teeth clenched tightly, and eyes squeezed hard enough that wrinkles emerged. The third eye twitched more than tens of times, flipping in all directions, flashing in colorful lights. Even Pearl, who had some concepts for the operation of the future vision, was horrified by the whole situation.

"I, uh... can you hear me? Please, some responses... Garnet!" Pearl shook her best friend's shoulder, but the other wasn't moving, like a statue.

While the slender gem was going to call for help, the tall figure eased down. The third eye had returned to position, and the mismatched eyes below had reopened, looking toward Pearl.

"You, thank the stars, Garnet, you 're okay..." Pearl's hands had already held the fusion 's both side of cheeks before the other making any action, tears fluctuated in the eye, "Wait, you're okay, right?"

Those pictures finally ceased, as if the whole body hadn't completely regressed from another timeline, Garnet spent all her efforts to blink. It also took her more than a dozen seconds to squeeze words through her teeth. " 'M fine... Just saw, pictures, from future, too many..."

" What? Well, then, uh ... it's certainly important things, since you've reacted so strongly...right? " Hadn't seen this situation before, Pearl didn't know how to interpret but making speculation.

"I 'm not sure ... I don't even understand what I saw. ", the tone Garnet using, somehow, sounded as fragile as the first time she showed up on Earth.

Then there was something flashing through Pearl's mind. A previous Steven's casual talking, mentioned that recently Garnet's future vision seemed to be no longer as smooth as it used to be, which causing Garnet perplexed in a word.

She needed to do something. Though she was not sure what to do, at least she could start with figuring out the situation. "Maybe you can go back to the sight again and try to describe those pictures?"

"Of course, the premise is that this will not aggravate your discomfort ... "

The current leader of the Crystal Gems hesitated a bit about Pearl 's proposal, but soon she nodded and closed her eyes again in an attempt to concentrate.

The intermittent visions were now gathering in front of her like butterflies, with the images of her, Pearl, Steven, and Amethyst stood outside the shack.

Unexpectedly, she also saw bismuth, even blue Diamond and yellow Diamond, she secretly gasped.

Those visions were clearly impossible at the first glance, however, the longer she watched, all of the pictures gradually conveyed a sense of harmony.

As more detail revealed, she was finally able to discern the intricate diversion that seemed to lead to the same destination.

In those countless scenes, she couldn't be unaware that the most part was Pearl and her.

One of the pictures in particular impelled her to open her eyes.

In general, Pearl usually waited patiently for the captain to speak up first, but she noticed that the other hadn't said a word after opening her eyes. "... Garnet? You...are those pictures hard to interpret it? Or do you feel uncomfortable ──"

"No, um ... I just, I ... ", like the sense taken away finally returned, the fusion blinked, giving a confusing response," I see, you ... I see, us. "

" ... Me, and us? The "us", you mean, you and me?", Asked Pearl, confirming.

"Well, Amethyst and Steven were there, and I even saw bismuth ... but, most of them are about you and me. " Garnet looked away, lips pressed into a firm line.

This answer was doing nothing but provoking one 's whim, Pearl felt her curiosity surged, but she did not want to bring too much pressure on, so she asked in a roundabout way. "Oh, then, since that's the case──well, those should be good things, I guess? "

"...That depends on you." After a while, Garnet answered.

Observant gem didn't miss the darker patch on the other 's face, the tone sounded hastier than usual, as if trying to conceal the nervousness.

Of course, she also noticed that the full lips were tightly aligned and she could clearly see the overflow of anxiety among the tri-colored pupils, since the pair of visors had not yet returned.

All of this was beyond the scope of understanding. Pearl couldn't think of a reasonable explanation,  frowning, asking at the same time."Sorry, I don't understand ...?"

Craving for the truth made her behavior more active unconsciously. The slender body moving forward, and the distance between them shortened again.

That pair of baby blue eyes upright gazed, while constantly approaching, Garnet can feel the emotion called panic filled in her whole body, disorderly channeling, forcing her to mumble out, "Uh ... I, I should not have told you, after all, this will interfere with the direction of the future, and that is merely a possibility, no one can guarantee that will happen. "

Raised her hand, the fusion wanted to summon her shades as a cover, but Pearl slams her wrist down.

"Not yet, Garnet, now you have to look at me. " With the slight coercion in the pale gem 's word, Garnet didn't dare to disobey," I beg you to tell me, is the future you observed that cause the pain you suffered? "

Garnet opened her mouth slightly.

──But there was no sound, which made the creases between Pearl 's brows thicker again, eyes scanning the maroon gem.

Finally, the taller gem gritted teeth and rumbled, "I, I can't tell you... not yet."

" Oh, for Earth's sake, Garnet, I want to know why you're acting out of the ordinary, let me help you, please ... "Pearl implored.

She was sure that Garnet must have seen something, but for some reason, her many-year-comrade didn't want to tell her, which made her more desperate to find out what the images from the future revealed, and what the other's unusual performance meant.

"... Let me clarify, do you mean that something will happen in the future and if I make the wrong choice, things will get worse? "Pearl pieced clues together, and that was the most reasonable inference she could come up with.

"That's not, you know I have to evaluate the risk to take action, if I tell you right now, that might be the worst case──"Garnet was eager to refute, but she did not expect that she sounded nettled.

She secretly tsk to herself, such confrontation with Pearl always declined her self-control capability, and that's why she wanted to avoid this situation urgently.

What's worse, obviously Pearl wasn't going to stop in any seconds, her attitude became more dominated. "So, you are afraid that when things get worse, you cannot come rescue in time. Is that so?"

Garnet found she could not answer this question.

She has never been good at expressing herself, nor explaining things. If she gave an affirmative answer to Pearl 's question, she would only make the scene more complicated. If she denied, then she became a liar.

In the face of the dilemma, she could sense the fear began to scale up her limbs. If Pearl wasn't riding on her at this moment, she would flee without hesitation. However the harder she resisted to tell the truth, in Pearl's perspective, it became more certainly confirmed that the slender gem 's hypothesis was right. "You don't want to tell me because you don't want me to worry, I can totally understand ... “

”But, Garnet, you just almost collapsed, and now you are acting not like yourself, obviously, it's not a trivial matter ──"

Nearly, Garnet would confess because of the hidden sadness in Pear 's whisper.

"Things are not exactly what you think ..." She tried to speak with the most moderate but firm tone, "I promise, I will tell you, Pearl...when it's the right time. "

Biting the lower lip, the lithe gem looked hesitant, sighed eventually," ... You always do want to protect my sense of security. "

"But what about you? You told me that you're not as strong as I think, and Steven once mentioned that you seem to be unsure about the future and that you felt pressured because of responsibilities as a leader... "she whispered.

'I, I just want to let you know that no matter how crucial the upcoming events will be. You won 't need to face those fears, anxieties, and restlessness alone from now on... You can, depend on me."Not finished yet, blue eyes had been withdrawn since she didn't dare to listen to how self-righteous her words were.

She was so ready to face the awkward situation, instead, she heard a muffled laugh "... Hey, that's what I 've been doing. "

The lithe gem quietly watched the other hold up her upper body, raised arm stroking her hair, and then gently supported her side of the brain.

"It 's very gratified to hear you saying that." Mismatched eyes became much softer than earlier, more frustrated as well," ...but also discreditable."

"You 've made a lot of progress, and now I am the one who is stagnant." There is a self-deprecation in her tone.

Eyes blinking several times, Pearl didn't understand the remarks from the fusion, "Uh, progress, I didn't, did I ? and what makes you think so ...?"

"In our earlier conversation, I had to notice you 've come up against a few struggles, but you were still willing to stick till the last minute, not to mention those comforts you just gave me..." Sigh rarely slipped through the full lips, "You are strong with no doubt, even stronger than I remember──all the things you've been through, If I were you, I might have been devastated."

Garnet's lip tightened again, but soon opened,"And you're right, I'm scared...scared that if I tell you, you will, feel resistant."

"Why would I feel resistant? Garnet, it's about you! I must say that terrified is more possible, but definitely not resistant──I promise." Pearl reassured the other quickly.

The maroon gem only responded with a silent smile, though the smile soon became stiff. All three eyes locked on the pair of blue pupils, the fusion held the dainty palms in her hands.

Then all she could do was stare.

In the first place, she did not notice she stared too long that Pearl looked back suspiciously.

As soon as Garnet realized this, an extremely hasty question came out of the plump lips like a grunt, "... Would you like to marry me?"

"What, did you just...? But──wait, Garnet! You 're...", The lithe gem 's expression turned from suspicious into startled, azure pupils amplificating then narrowing."

Although the pale gems hadn't elaborated on her sentence yet because of stuttering, Garnet already reckoned she had been falling into the Earth’s outer core. The heat inside her body was incomparably higher than magma, hot enough to shut down her thinking.

"──holy stars! how do you, you just asked a question !" Pearl's response awakened her in no time.

Garnet admitted that this wasn't the reaction she had foreseen, but she was not dismayed. On the contrary, she was overjoyed.

She almost forgot that Pearl would always surprise her whether or not she used her future vision, and this is one of the reasons why she was fascinated by the gem.

Pearl 's response also amused her, released from the burden, now she couldn't help laughing, ignoring the other's astonishment only for a while.

After calming down, she responded,"──Yes, I asked a question, since you said you want to start from here and now, I figured that there 's no need to follow past norms anymore." Her face was still visibly lighted.

However, terrified by the explanation, Pearl 's face paler than ever. She immediately backed off and stood up, murmuring."Oh, my stars... so you were talking about getting married..."

This kind of behavior made Garnet nervous, hastened to stand up as well, trying to explain." No! Uh, I mean, yes, I did see a lot of unexpected future, and about this, well ... "

"At first I was planning that...someday when you 're ready, I will tell you, then you, you may be willing to think about it, but when you look at me in that way, I become wavering ..."Stuttering is a trifle, but under such anxiety, Garnet only felt her brain and mouth seemed to be controlled by different people, the words she said and her thought was completely incompatible. She was trying to appease the slender gem, not to put the blame on her.

Arms around herself, Pearl slowly turned, eyes peeping. It also allowed the fusion to observe hydrated reflection in those sky-blue eyes.

Garnet feel a constriction because of the sight, like getting punched right in her chest. She wanted to grab Pearl 's shoulders, but she was too worried that any physical contact might cause the lithe gem feeling disgusted. With one hand frozen in the air, she spoke, "I 'm sorry, Pearl... um, things shouldn't be like this. I didn't mean to make you feel rushed..."

"Please don't feel pressured. It's just a possibility I see. You don't have to answer me specifically. I understand..." Garnet muttered abashedly.

She should have expected to confess in this instance, everything would become more embarrassing than she foresaw.

Now the third eye is affected by her illogic behavior, the future path is no longer clear, along with the pair of sky blue eyes covered with a layer of water fog, which symbolized frustration.

It was all her fault. Because of her reckless action, she inadvertently hurt the one extremely important to her.

She predicted without using her ability that the svelte gem would leave without saying a word, but once again she was surprised that Pearl began to speak, "No, Garnet, I would, I would like it by all means──but I don't understand why. ”

"Why would you want to... Why me?" Pearl asked, with a breathy tone of disbelief.

Seeing the fine eyebrows pressed tightly together, the fusion still couldn't restrain herself from curving lips upward, "You clearly know the answer."

No need anyone to tell, Pearl knew that her cheeks were completely blue for certain.

Sure enough, Garnet had been fully aware of her affection, and they were on the same page that both had the equal feeling for each other, which meant even if she tried inventing all kinds of excuses, there was no way to evade the topic.

With no response from the other for too long, Garnet couldn't help stepping forward. Glimpsing blue cheeks of the lithe gem from the side, she smiled.

Later, she felt some kind of desire driving her to catch the delicate body in her arms from the rear, jaws against peach-colored sideburns,“You know, I... initially, I thought I could use a more romantic approach instead of being so casual...'

The bony spine affixing spontaneously, smooth hindhead falling back on the shoulder pad, Garnet could judge that Pearl was no longer tense, so she took the opportunity to rub the elegant neck with the tip of her nose.

The fair gem exhaled a heavy sigh with implied apologetic, but also satisfied, "... I'm sorry, Garnet, it wasn't my intention to ruin your plan. "

" I thought you detected some kind of disaster coming, and seeing you suffered made me lose my senses, and I ... I ... "Pearl turned her face aside, due to the height difference, she can only catch full lips and defined chin from the corner of her eyes.

"Those are irrelevant now. Pearl, the only thing that matters right at this moment is you and me." Low voice echoing in her brain, and once she understood that there was almost no gap between them, she felt spine-tingling in a pleasant way.

The touched places were like being exposed to the sun in the summer. At first, it was just warm, and soon it elevated to an unbearable level. This sweltering heat caused Pearl to swallow.

Too close, Pearl 's face was too close to her and she had to retreat, Garnet thought so, but the previous desire led her to tighten her arms.

A soft touch.

On lips, fair and impartial.

Both of them were so surprised that they simultaneously pulled back. Both stare at each other for a while before they laughed aloud in united.

"...It's like a dream." In the middle of giggling, Pearl whispered. Her body has turned to the taller gem, arms skillfully stretching across the broad shoulders, cradled the graceful neck.

"It used to be, but now, it is happening..." Garnet clasped the slender waist, kissing continuously between the sentences.

Not only the thin lips, the full forehead, the upright nose, the tight cheeks, the soft sideburns, the delicate chin, the slender neck... Garnet can't wait to kiss every place of this perfect gem.

This kind of behavior made the pale gem giggle again. Despite the fact that she's unwilling to stop, time never waited for anyone. At the end of the wedding is nearly evening, by now only the orange sun was still above the horizon, suggesting the two should embark on their way home.

Therefore she pressed her own desire, lowering her head, resisting weakly, "Garnet...! I don't mean to disappoint you, but we really should go back. I only told Steven that I need to talk to you, and now it had taken so long... He may be worried."

The Maroon-colored gem nodded, "Alright.", and ended with a searing kiss on the lips.

Pearl was quite satisfied with this arrangement. Before they separated, she hummed in joy.

The two of them walked side by side, fingers crossed, and then a doubt appeared in Pearl's mind. She was not sure if the inquiry was appropriate at this moment. Worried that she might be transgressing, anxiety prompted her to bite her lower lip.

However, Garnet obviously noticed this situation too. She said bluntly, “Pearl, although we haven’t exchanged the vows yet... I think you and I both know that no matter it’s in the past, the present, or the future, we share the good times and hard times side by side. Your burden is also mine, so no need to worry about anything you 're going to say will cause me trouble."

"Oh...! I'm sorry, I just──" Pearl didn't expect the other will easily see through her thoughts, in addition to the soothing words. The shyness came to her, along with the sweetness. "I...uh, it may be weird to ask ... But Garnet, I'm curious, about us. We're ... are we engaged?”

Clenching the dainty hand lovingly, the fusion chuckled," You can say so, 'my fiancee'. "

The title once again adorned Pearl's cheeks with powder blue. The original question also turned into a series of incoherent raving, "Oh, then, uh, you think... well, we, should we tell everyone?"

"No need to rush." Garnet replied quietly, and kissed the lithe gem 's temple while the other was showing a look of despair, "...Not that I have hesitation, I just wanted to wait until all had been settled."

The visit of the diamond still made her uneasy, but she knew that these anxieties would not last long. After all, now she had a fiancee who would offer her consolation.

Once they return to the temple, she will tell Pearl all that she has seen, Garnet thought. She also made a list in her heart—about what she wanted to do for Pearl and also hoped that Pearl could do it for her, and what she wanted to do together.

"I'm sure you've got it all planned out." With a sheepish smile, Pearl held her fiancee's arm simply.

Garnet almost forgot this gesture always kept her heart bulging. Whereas, she nodded silently, mouth slightly lifted as a toothless grin.

"... Do you think it's necessary to have a 50-meter-tall cake? Steven always emphasized to me that the wedding cake has to be such a big deal, but considering that I don't eat human food, I would rather not." Before stepping on the stairs toward the shack, Pearl was still murmuring, not so much asking for consultation as in seeking approval.

"Leave this question to Steven and amethyst." Garnet slowly drew back her hand, and softly whispered to the lithe gem, " I would like to ask if you are available to dance with me tonight."

Pearl could feel the palm embedded with gem was now on her lower back, and a little further down would reach her hips.

The enchanting smirk formed at the corners of the thin lips, the half-lidded eyes were full of teasing at the moment, and there was a distinct tantalization in the pale gem 's response, "You clearly know the answer."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is inspired by my friend 媽吉(Nimaji) 's artwork  
> https://nimae04.tumblr.com/post/174049668356
> 
> as well this song by Joanna Wang, the talented Singer also from Taiwan.  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEyESh3pblo
> 
> Lastly, I would like to thank Shujinkakusama as my beta reader.  
> Still, I think I can use more help, so if there 's anyone also interested in being my beta readers, you can DM me on Tumblr (http://motokomei.tumblr.com/)


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 雖然這是第二章，但事實上只是因為我不想分開放所以放在一起。  
> 而由於本文是先完成中文版再翻成英文版，所以兩邊內容大同小異，不須閱讀英文版也不影響。

「……拜託，我得跟Garnet談談。」婚禮後，Pearl立刻向Ruby和Sapphire請求。

「我想也該是時候了……」Sapphire淡道。

Ruby則是咧嘴大笑：「沒錯！」隨後抱起身邊的愛人。

一旦這對嬌小的寶石人交換了吻，紅藍兩道光芒開始交融，眨眼間已轉變為桃紫色。

「Garnet！」絲毫不顧那道光芒尚未穩定，Pearl已經上前，張臂便摟。

形體確立後的Garnet靜靜地接過對方，收緊了手臂，這一切都自然地像是水珠之間的凝聚，不帶半點勉強之意。

「我終於又見到妳了，Garnet……」Pearl將臉埋進對方胸口，而她能感覺對方左手無名指上的戒環抵在她的肋骨下方。

較高大的寶石人抬手撫弄那頭桃色的髮，豐厚雙唇微啟，一聲低語：「Pearl。」

帶有濃厚口音的呼喚讓纖細的寶石人驚得跳起，隨即她退了開來：「噢諸星……！我不是，我、我很抱歉，我應該先經過妳的同意──」

「不，冷靜點。」Garnet平靜地陳述，並伸手搭上對方的肩：「我已經聽Steven、Ruby還有Sapphire解釋過了，沒事的，我沒在生氣。」

「……至少，生氣的對象不是妳。」這句補充促使白皙的寶石人咬緊下唇。

沉默隨之而來。

但Pearl並不感到惶恐，她知道這般沉默只是因為這名融合寶石人不擅長表達情感，至少，從她肩上傳來的細微顫抖是這樣告訴她的。

當然，她沒有忘記這整起事件起源自Rose的計畫，她也知道身為共犯的她脫不了罪，而這便是她得跟Garnet坦白的原因。

「我、呃，我確實是想跟妳談論這件事，而我想我仍然欠妳一個鄭重的道歉與完整的說明，Garnet，那時……」她支吾著道，企圖解釋當時詳細情況。

然而一如過往地，就在這個意圖出現的瞬間，她猶如被綁上細線的操偶般，雙手在無意識間已然抬起，並緊緊封住自己的嘴，隨後只能發出一串語焉不詳的嗚咽。

過去Garnet以為這只是白皙寶石人表達情緒的一種方式，倘若沒有任何註解，這幕在不知情者眼裡更像是想要掩蓋自己的沉痛。

但此刻，親眼見證了鑽石對珍珠的絕對控制權，她只感覺到純然的恐懼，步伐反射性地退卻，這比先前看見Blue Diamond來訪地球時更教她背脊發寒。

而她也意識到就算她已經得知事件的來龍去脈，卻還是無法克制心中怒意燃起：「……她不該這麼對妳。」

白皙的寶石人猛烈地搖了搖頭，嘴裏仍然不斷發出悶哼，眼角因為臉部劇烈皺擠而開始泛淚。

「這對妳太不公平了！」在盛怒中，Garnet可以聽見自己的牙被磨擦得滋滋響，她也聽見自己的指關節緊握後的霹啪聲。

一旦Pearl注意到自己手頭的力量減弱，深固在喉頸的嗆溺感也逐漸緩和下來，她立刻抓過對方的雙臂：「不、不！Garnet，這是我應得的……」

熟識這名融合寶石人近六千年，她可以預測到對方絕對會反駁她，因此她搶在之前接道：「當初答應協助的人是我，而現在我得背負這個決定導致的後果。」

眼眸抬起，Pearl可以清楚看見那副遮光鏡上反映出自己慚愧的表情，提醒了她先前的通訊塔事件。

但這次不一樣了，她已經跟Garnet約定好要變得強悍，而她不再希冀任何人告訴她該怎麼做。

嚥下唾液，Pearl緩緩開口：「當妳、不在的這段期間，我思考了許多事……」

「雖然我知道現在我說什麼都像是在開脫，但起初，我、我實在沒有料到這一切，尤其是其他鑽石們的反應……」習慣促使她縮回了雙手，並加以環繞在自己周身。

如果愧疚感是把有形的武器，那麼她毫無疑問會當場碎裂在其下。

「當戰役是如此告終，這幾千年來，我數度因為這個非隱瞞不可的秘密而感到無比掙扎，『這一切都是因為我』的認知總是追逐著我，因為我的思慮不周，我害慘了所有人……」她的喉嚨正不規則地收縮著，聲音也因而飄忽不定。

她可以聽見腦內的自己正在哀求她別再繼續，但她強迫自己說下去：「特別是妳，Garnet，向妳隱瞞實情讓我最為痛苦，因為我知道──這會狠狠地傷害妳，我甚至不敢想像當妳發現妳所相信的一切，原來只是一則精心設計的謊言時，妳會有多麼憤怒……」

說著的同時她閉上了眼睛，因為她擔心自己要是看見融合寶石人此刻的表情，她的情緒就會決堤。

「請妳相信我，我真的想過上萬次，要告訴妳真相，然而我『無法』，不論我再怎麼努力嘗試……」咬緊下唇，承認自己的不堪的同時，她感覺得到眼淚正在無聲地形成：「我只是一個『珍珠』，我怎麼能夠抵抗珍珠們無條件服從其主人的本質……」

然而她不想要Garnet因為她的眼淚而分神，因此她硬撐嘴角，成功搭建起一個笑容：「所以、我只能繼續保密，每當罪惡感找上我時，我便用我對Rose的感情作為藉口……妳知道的，『我所做的一切，都是為了她』。」

雖然充其量只是個苦笑，而在如此情境下微笑也有些詭異，但她認為這總比哭泣來得好些。

至少，當她費盡全力想要掩飾自己脆弱的同時，她就無法分神去在意Garnet聽了這些會怎麼想。

「我堅信自己沒有做錯，後來，我甚至說服了我自己──如果我說出真相，妳便再也不會正眼看我了，因為妳會理解到，我其實並非那個我所聲稱的『不屬於任何人的珍珠』，而這會導致我永遠失去妳……」說完這句，她便後悔了。

因為她發現她的淚水已經不受控地滑落，於是她趕緊低頭，並暗自希冀融合寶石人沒有注意到。

「然而諷刺的是……我沒想到，我扭曲的心智最終致使我再次犯下無可彌補的大錯──我出於私慾欺騙了妳，不只一次，而且是關於融合，對妳來說等同於存在意義的一件事。」但隨話題再次回到過往的錯誤時，她故意營造出的從容也徹底瓦解。

她放棄了，索性將半張臉埋入掌中，她感覺得到那些懊悔與自責正從她的指縫間滲出。

「諸星，我、我，噢，Garnet，我真的……這一切，我真的很抱歉。」是她唯一能從哽咽之中擠出的幾個字。

她懷疑對方是否能夠辨別她發出的殘破音節，就在此同時，她察覺到肩頭多了一個重量。

「……不，Pearl，該道歉的是我，讓妳認為妳必須獨自背負這個秘密。」來自Garnet的懺詞讓她僵住了。

她緩緩抬頭，看向那張戴著遮光鏡的臉孔，對方的表情像是……？她無法確定，模糊的視線弱化了她辨別表情的能力。

「如果、如果我能早點得知這些，或許我可以在妳不得不面對這些回憶時，提供更有力的協助。」說著，高大的融合寶石人已將那副纖細身軀摟入懷中。

Pearl愣住了，她感覺不知所措，畢竟這並不是她預料中對方會給的反應。

「而妳不必害怕妳會失去我，我現在告訴妳──那是不可能的。」沉穩嗓音繼續道：「我會陪在妳身旁，永遠。」

溫暖的懷抱為她帶來寬慰，而在她意識到自己已經停止了啜泣之前，她搖了搖頭，啞著嗓道：「妳的好意使我很感動……但，Garnet，妳不可能知道的，而就算知道，僅憑我們也改變不了什麼。」

她吸了吸鼻，或許是哭泣讓她太過疲倦，她的語氣比料想中還要平淡。

「別就這樣放棄，Pearl……妳應當享有自由，就算是Pink Diamond也不能剝奪妳的這項權利。」不必抬頭確認，Pearl仍能從那略帶顫抖的聲音聽出對方刻意隱瞞的憤慨。

施加在腦後的力道更加劇，促使她將額頭抵在對方肩上，她可以感覺到胸口流淌過一絲熟悉的暖意。

而她無法克制自己嘴角因此上揚。

一直以來都是這樣，不只是在戰場上，每次當她感覺不安而徬徨，又或者是焦慮絕望時，Garnet總是在那，協助她、安慰她、鼓勵她，激發她的勇氣，去挑戰那些看似不可能達成的任務，更賦予她繼續堅持抗爭下去的動力。

「不……Garnet，她的確不能。」稍微拉開兩人的距離，Pearl伸出食指，抵在那對豐滿的唇上。

「──我仍是自由的，儘管我被施加了束縛，但只要我不去談論那段過往，那麼這限制也就形同無物，對吧？」她試著以輕鬆口吻和問句來搏取對方的認同，卻只得到又一次的沉默。

然而這次，被遮光鏡掩去一半的面容平靜如常，Pearl幾乎無從判別對方究竟在想些什麼，這讓她有些焦慮。

但她告訴自己，Garnet只是需要時間來思考她所提出的問句，更何況，Ruby和Sapphire可能也正在討論關於先前的對話。

很多聲音在腦裡迴盪的感覺通常使人外在表現得更為沉默，這點她再清楚不過了。

但她仍然想為Garnet做點什麼，單純是讓情緒緩和的安撫動作也不要緊，就像對方也總是如此對待她一樣。

於是她反手拉過對方的腕，引領那對嵌著寶石的手掌攤開。

拇指來回輕掃過兩顆寶石各別的切面，Pearl可以感覺到Ruby和Sapphire，這使得一股感激之情自她胸腔油然而生。

她不禁開始懷疑，若非這兩名寶石人堅貞的愛造就了Garnet，此時此刻她是否還能站在此地，欣賞這個純粹而至美的存在。

終於，Garnet又開口了：「我還是不能接受妳得被靜默一輩子……」

那向來低而磁性的嗓音此刻聽起來充滿哀傷。

──還有不捨。

Garnet真的很在乎她，這個認知讓Pearl胸口的暖意再次擴散，使她的雙頰染上了天藍。

「啊、那不是，等等，抱歉，剛剛那些，我想我可能需要、我需要解釋得更清楚……」她清了清喉嚨。

「我說這些不是因為、我『放棄了』，而是因為我『明白了』……應該說，是妳讓我明白的──我花了太多時間在懺悔以及悼念過往，以致於我前行的步伐受到拖累，但我不想再這樣下去。」坦承自己的錯誤仍然讓她感覺難堪不已，但她已經下定決心，這次她不但不能退縮，她還要跨出一大步。

「所以、我在想，我、嗯，我們能否別再對這些無法改變的事情耿耿於懷？」她小心翼翼地道，斟酌著用句，希望對方能夠瞭解。

「因為我更希望把注意力放在此當下，還有彼此身上……」就算隔著遮光鏡，她隱約可以感知到Garnet正直直望著她，羞赧感瞬間盤踞了她整個腦袋，讓她無法細思下去：「呃，也就是說，能不能就……我，跟妳，讓我們……從這裡開始？」視線也因此別開。

非特殊情況下，靜靜聽完白皙寶石人所想表達的，向來是Garnet對自己的要求。

……但有地方不對勁。

一旦白皙寶石人的提議被完整陳述，她便偵測到未來產生了巨大的變化。

額頭的第三隻眼開始探看未來，速度之快，就像是望著一片不斷變幻的繽紛色彩。

隱約之中她能聽到Ruby在大喊，而Sapphire只是瞪著那些紛飛的片段。

隨後她看見命運原本該有的走向此刻或被揉捻為一，或被剷除至淨，記憶和預測之間的界限開始模糊。

這在過去也發生過幾次，卻沒有一次像現在這樣造成她頭疼欲裂。

劇痛下，她雙手壓住兩側太陽穴，幾乎無法保持身心協調，而就算避免了當場解除融合，她仍然維持不住臉上的遮光鏡。

接著猶如墜落的失重感吞噬了她，她失去了平衡。

眼看對方身形不穩，Pearl反射性地攔腰抱緊，然而那副身軀實在太沉，她實在沒有足夠力氣將對方還原至站姿，尤其對方處在無法自主立定的狀態下。

她盡可能輕柔地放倒對方，無意間形成了跨跪在對方之上的姿勢。

「噢諸星！Garnet……！妳看起來很痛苦，出了什麼事？」她著急地問。

但融合寶石人的大腦正在盡全力接收情報，無暇也無法回答任何問題。

牙關緊咬，閉上的雙目間出現了用力擠壓的皺褶，而第三隻眼抽搐般不斷上下左右翻動，同時閃爍著多彩強光，就算是對於預視力的運作有些概念的Pearl，這幕仍然嚇壞了她。

「我、呃──妳能、妳聽得見我說話嗎？拜託，給點回應……！Garnet！」Pearl搖動其肩膀，然而對方卻如同雕像般動也不動。

而就在纖細的寶石人打算呼喚同伴來協助的那個時節點，原本呈現僵硬狀態的高大身軀緩和了下來，第三隻眼已經回歸定位，下方的異色雙眼也已重新張開，望向Pearl。

「妳、噢，Garnet，妳沒事──」在對方有其他行動前，Pearl的雙手已經捧過對方臉頰，眼眶內隱約可見慌亂之中泛出的淚水：「等等，妳沒事，對吧？」

那些畫面終於停止放送，彷彿全身還未完全從另個時空移轉過來般，Garnet費了全力才能夠眨一下眼，更足足花了數十秒從齒間勉力擠出：「還行……只是、看到了，畫面，來自未來，太多……」

「什麼？那、那麼，呃……我敢說肯定是重要至極的事情，既然妳反應這麼強烈。」這種情況實在是前所未見，Pearl不曉得該如何解釋，只能憑空猜測。

「我、我不確定……我連我看見什麼都不確定。」Garnet此刻的語氣，不知怎地，聽起來脆弱得像是在地球上再次成型的時候。

隨即有件事閃過Pearl的腦海，一個先前Steven隨口帶過的情報：近來Garnet的預視力運作似乎不再如同以往那樣順暢，而男孩也稍微提及Garnet似乎因此感到徬徨……

看來她必須做點什麼，儘管她不確定自己能怎麼幫忙，但至少先從了解情況開始：「或許，妳能再回去看看，然後試著描述那些畫面？當然，前提是這不會加重妳的不適……」

面對Pearl的提議，寶衛隊的現任領導猶疑了一下，才點點頭，重新閉上眼，企圖集中精神。

那些斷續的影像此刻正如同蝴蝶群般聚集在她眼前，意料之內有著她、Pearl、Steven、Amethyst四人聚集在小屋外的畫面。

出乎預期的是，她也看見Bismuth，甚至是Blue Diamond與Yellow Diamond，她暗暗倒抽了一口氣。

一旦觀看的時間拉長，她漸漸發覺那些畫面乍看之下顯然不可能，卻又給人和諧無異的觀感。

隨著更多細節顯露，她終於能夠辨別出那錯綜複雜的分流，似乎都引導向同一個目的地。

而在那些數不盡的畫面之中，她不得不注意到佔了最大部分的，是她與Pearl。

特別是其中一個畫面，促使她睜開了眼。

一般而言，Pearl通常會耐心等待寶衛隊的隊長開口，但她注意到對方睜開眼以後始終沒有出聲：「……Garnet？妳、那些畫面，很難判讀嗎？還是妳感覺不舒服──」

「不，嗯……我只是、我……」像是被抽走的意識終於回歸，融合寶石人眨了眨眼，給出回應：「我看見、妳……我看見、我們。」

「……我、跟我們？那個『我們』，妳是指，妳跟我？」Pearl確認般地問著。

「呃，當然Amethyst、Steven也在，我甚至還看見Bismuth……但、大多數是妳跟我。」Garnet別開視線，回應的過程中撇了撇嘴。

這個回答簡直不能更吊人胃口，Pearl感覺到自己的好奇心被挑起，但她不想再帶給對方太多壓力，所以她迂迴地問：「噢，那麼、既然是這樣的話──呃，應該、算是好事，我猜？」

「……那得取決於妳。」像是在思索，頓了一下後，Garnet才答。

向來觀察細微的寶石人沒有漏看對方臉上因為情緒激動而浮現的那塊暗沉，其語調聽起來比平常更為上揚，聽起來像是想要刻意隱瞞自己的緊張。

當然她也注意到那對飽滿的唇被緊抿成一直線，而既然那副遮光鏡仍未回歸原處，她也能清楚看見三支不同顏色的瞳孔之中滿溢出的焦慮。

這一切實在超出了理解範疇，想不出合理解釋的Pearl皺眉問：「抱歉，我不是很明白……？」

對於真相的渴求讓她的舉止在無意識之間變得更加積極，纖細的身軀向前，兩人的距離再次縮短。

那對水色眼眸正直直凝視，同時不斷逼近，Garnet可以感覺到名為慌張的情緒在她全身亂竄，迫使她只能含糊道出：「呃……我、我其實不該告訴妳的，畢竟這會干涉未來的走向，而且那只是一種可能性，誰也無法保證那一定會發生。」

融合寶石人抬手想要召喚她的遮光鏡作為掩飾，但Pearl卻一把壓制她的手腕。

「還不行，Garnet，現在妳得看著我。」白皙的寶石人語中所蘊含的威壓使Garnet不敢不從：「我請求妳告訴我，妳所觀測到的未來，是導致妳剛剛如此痛苦的主因嗎？」

Garnet微張開了嘴。

──但是沒有任何聲音，這讓Pearl眉頭之間的折痕又增粗了不少，雙瞳開始打量起眼前這名桃色融合寶石人。

最後才聽見高大的寶石人咬著牙道：「我、我不能說，還不能。」

「噢，看在地球的份上，Garnet，我想知道是什麼造成妳的反常，讓我幫忙妳，拜託……」Pearl懇求。

她有把握Garnet肯定看到了什麼，但出於某種原因，她多年的戰友不想告訴她，這讓她更急切想探究出那些來自未來的畫面揭露了什麼，而對方不尋常的表現又具有什麼含義。

「……讓我釐清一下，妳是想表達，未來會發生某事件，而如果我做出錯誤選擇，事態發展會變糟？」Pearl拼湊著線索，而這是她唯一能得出最合理的推論。

「那不是、妳知道我得評估完風險才能採取行動，要是我現在就告訴妳，那可能才是最糟的情況──」Garnet急切地想反駁，但她沒料到自己聽起來卻像是在發雷霆。

她暗暗嘖了一聲，與Pearl對峙總會讓她的自控力急速下滑，所以她總是想要避免這種情形。

但顯然Pearl不打算就此打住，態度反而更加強硬：「所以，妳在害怕當情勢變糟時，妳無法即時挽救，是這樣嗎？」

Garnet發現她無法回答這個問題。

她從來就不擅長表達，也不擅長解釋，而現在面對Pearl的質疑，她若給予肯定答案，只會讓整個場面變得更複雜；她若否定，那就是在說謊。

面對兩難的處境，她能感覺到驚懼開始爬上她的四肢，倘若對方並未騎在她身上，當下她肯定就要逃離現場。

然而融合寶石人愈是抗拒告知真相，在Pearl眼中，便更加證實了她的假設：「妳不想告訴我，是因為妳不想讓我擔心，這我完全可以理解……但、Garnet，妳剛剛差點要解體，而現在妳表現得很不尋常，顯然那可不是什麼小事──」

差一點，Garnet就會因為白皙寶石人的語中帶有的哭意而坦白。

「我、Pearl，事情不完全是妳想的那樣……」她試圖用最緩和卻又堅定的語調道：「我保證，等適當時機到來，我會告訴妳。」

咬著下唇，白皙的寶石人顯得欲言又止，但還是嗟嘆出聲：「……妳總是這樣，想保障我的安全感。」

「但妳自己呢？妳告訴我，妳沒有看上去那麼堅強，而Steven曾經提及妳似乎、對未來開始產生迷惘，說妳因為背負領導責任而感到壓力……」她低語。

「我、我只是想讓妳知道，無論即將遭遇的事件有多麼重大，從今以後妳都不必再獨自面對那些恐懼、焦躁與不安……妳可以、依賴我。」不待說完，藍色眼眸已別過，因為她不敢去聽此刻自己的說詞有多麼自以為是。

她已經做好準備要面對這個尷尬處境，然而卻聽見低沉笑聲響起：「……嘿，我向來都是這麼做的。」

白皙的寶石人靜靜看著對方撐起上身，手臂抬起，撫過她的鬢髮，隨後輕托住她的側腦。

「聽見妳這麼說，我、感到很欣慰。」異色的眼比起先前柔和許多，但更多的是挫折：「卻也慚愧。」

「妳已進步許多，現在我才是那停滯不前的人了。」語氣之中有著自嘲。

Pearl眨眨眼，不明白對方何出此言：「我沒、我？呃、進步？是、是什麼讓妳這麼認為……？」

「在妳早先的傾訴之中，我不得不注意到妳有過數度掙扎，但妳仍然願意撐到最後一刻，更別說剛剛那些安慰……」嘆息聲難得地溜過飽滿的雙唇之間：「妳很堅強，無庸置疑地，甚至比我印象中還來得更加堅強──妳所經歷的這一切，換作是我，我可能早就崩潰了。」

Garnet的唇再次緊抿，但又很快張開：「而妳說對了，我很害怕……害怕要是我說出來，妳會、感到抗拒。」

「我為何會感到抗拒？Garnet，這可是關於妳！說震驚倒還可能些，但絕不會是感到抗拒──我保證。」Pearl快速地安撫。

融合寶石人只回以無聲的微笑，但那個微笑很快變得僵硬，異色的三隻眼鎖在那對蔚藍上，並將對方的雙掌捧在自己手心中。

接下來她所做的只有凝視。

她完全沒注意到自己凝視了太久，久到Pearl也不免以狐疑的眼神看向她。

而在Garnet察覺這點的瞬間，一個過於匆促的問句如同咕噥般從豐滿厚唇間鑽了出來：「……妳願意跟我結婚嗎？」

「什……？但──等等，Garnet……妳、」白皙寶石人的表情從狐疑變成了錯愕，雙瞳放大又縮小。

儘管白纖的寶石人因結巴而尚未將語句完整闡述，Garnet卻已感覺自己掉入地球外核，遠高於岩漿的熱度足以使她思考停擺。

「──諸星，妳怎麼、妳剛剛『問了問題』！」不過Pearl的回應卻喚醒了她。

Garnet得坦承這不是她預見到的反應，但她並不因此沮喪，相反地，她感到無比欣喜。

她差點忘了無論是否使用預視力，Pearl永遠能使她驚奇，而這也是她醉心於這名寶石人的理由之一。

而Pearl的回應也連帶使她開懷大笑，如釋重擔的她暫時無法去理會對方此刻的瞠目結舌。

冷靜後，她才回應：「──是的，我問了問題，既然妳說妳想從此開始，所以我認為我也沒必要守著過去的準則。」臉上仍有明顯喜色。

但這個解釋卻使得Pearl面容鐵青，更隨即爬起身背過，嘴裡兀自喃喃：「諸星……所以妳剛剛是在說這件事，結婚……」

這樣的表現讓融合寶石人慌了，也趕忙站起，想要說明：「不！呃，我是說、對，我看見很多意料外的未來，而關於這、嗯……」

「我起初是想，或許，等到、等到妳準備好了，再告訴妳，那麼妳、妳可能會願意考慮一下，但當妳用那種眼神、看著我，我就又動搖了……」結巴還算是小事一樁，然而在焦急之下，Garnet只覺得她的腦跟嘴似乎被不同人掌握，講出的話跟她所想的完全不同，她是想安撫對方，而非想把責任推至對方身上。

只見Pearl雙臂環抱著自己，緩緩扭頭，以眼角窺視，但這也讓融合寶石人注意到對方眼眶有著水潤的反光。

這讓Garnet感覺胸口像是挨了一拳般，她原本想摟對方的肩，卻又顧慮到身體接觸可能導致對方反感，一隻手僵在半空：「我很抱歉，Pearl……呃、我實在不該，我無意讓妳感到唐突……」

「請別感覺有所壓力，這只是我看見的、一個可能性，所以妳大可不必回答我，我明白的……」Garnet愧疚道，她早該料到在這種場面下告白，事情發展絕對會比她預見得更為難堪。

現在第三隻眼受她跳脫邏輯的舉止影響，未來走向不再清晰，連帶地，那對天藍雙眼蒙上一層象徵沮喪的水霧。

這都是她的錯，她實在不該倉促地行事，現在她又無意間傷害了對她來說重要至極的人。

她預測那名白皙寶石人會不發一語地離開，但再一次出乎她意料之外地，Pearl開口了：「不、Garnet，我願意，我當然願意──但是，我不明白，為什麼？」

「為什麼妳會想要……為什麼是我？」Pearl問，用的是不敢置信的口氣。

眼看那對細眉緊皺，融合寶石人卻還是無法克制自己揚起唇角，忍著笑道：「這個問題應該要問妳自己，而妳很清楚答案的。」

不用任何人告知，Pearl也曉得自己的臉頰好比勿忘我花海般通藍一片。

果然，Garnet早就察覺到她的這份情意，而同時也對她抱有相等的意念，這會就算她編造出各種藉口，也沒辦法再唬弄過去。

見對方不答，Garnet忍不住上前一步，從側邊瞥見漲藍的臉頰時，她低笑了。

隨後她感覺到有股欲望驅使她從後方一把摟過那副嬌瘦身軀，下顎貼住對方鬢髮：「妳知道，我、原本我還想說可以用更浪漫的方式，而不是這麼、隨意的……」

隨著骨感背脊自然貼近，圓滑後腦仰倒在肩上，Garnet可以判斷出Pearl已經不再處於緊繃狀態，因此她趁機以鼻尖蹭了蹭那優雅的細頸。

白皙的寶石人呼出一聲重重的嘆息，嘆息之中隱含著歉意，卻也有些滿足：「……我很抱歉，Garnet，毀了妳的計畫並非我的本意。」

「我以為妳預視到災難降臨，而看見妳那麼痛苦讓我失去判斷力，我……我……」Pearl側過臉，由於身高差異，她只能從眼角瞥見對方飽滿的雙唇與線條俐落的下頦。

「那些都已經不重要了，Pearl，此刻事關要緊的只有妳跟我。」低沉嗓音在耳際響起，一旦理解到兩人之間幾乎沒有縫隙，她感到尾椎隱約發麻。

隨後被碰觸的地方就像被夏日豔陽照射一般，起初只是溫暖，很快地就升溫至難以忍受的程度，這股躁熱使Pearl嚥了口唾液。

太近了，Pearl的臉離她太近了，必須退開一些，Garnet這麼想著，可是最初那股欲望卻引導她收緊雙臂。

一個柔軟的觸感。

不偏不倚地就落在唇上。

兩人都因此感到詫異，同步地將頭後仰，而在對上眼神的時候雙雙笑了出聲。

「……這一切像是夢一樣。」嘻笑中，Pearl氣音般輕語，同時身軀已經轉而面對高大的寶石人，手臂更熟練地穿過寬闊肩膀，繞至對方頸後。

「曾經是，但現在、卻是即將發生的、現實。」緊扣著對方的纖細腰枝，Garnet附和，並在斷句之間持續吻著懷裏的人。

不只是唇，圓滿的額頭、挺立的鼻樑、緊實臉頰、柔軟鬢際、精緻下巴、纖細的頸……Garnet迫不及待要吻遍懷中這名完美的寶石人身上每個地方。

這樣的行徑逗得白皙的寶石人再度咯咯笑，但儘管她千百個不願對方停下，無奈的是時間從不等人，婚禮結束的時間已近傍晚，而此刻只剩紅色的太陽還在地平線上，暗示著兩人應該踏上歸途了。

於是她壓下自己的私心，低過頭，微弱地抵抗對方：「Garnet……！我不是想掃興，但我們真的該回去了，我只跟Steven說我跟妳需要談談，拖了這麼久，他可能會很擔心。」

桃色寶石人點點頭：「妳說的對。」並以唇上的吻作結。

Pearl相當滿意這個安排，在分開前，她發出喜悅的哼鳴。

兩人此刻並肩而行，手指交扣，隨後一個疑惑浮現在Pearl腦海，但她不確定這時詢問是否妥當，擔心自己踰矩的焦慮促使她咬起下唇。

然而Garnet顯然也注意這個情況，直言：「Pearl，雖然我們還沒宣讀誓言，但……我想妳我都清楚，無論是過去、現在或未來，我們患難與共，妳的問題亦是我的問題，無需顧慮這會造成我的困擾。」

「噢……！抱歉，我只是──」沒料到對方輕易看穿自己思緒，還說了這些撫慰人心的話，Pearl感到一陣害臊，心頭卻也無比甜蜜：「我，這麼問可能很怪異……但Garnet，我好奇、關於我們，我們目前這樣算是、呃，訂婚了嗎？」

握緊那纖柔的手，融合寶石人笑道：「妳可以這麼說，我的『未婚妻』。」

那個稱呼再次為Pearl的臉頰點綴上粉藍，原本要問的問題也化為一串斷斷續續的囈語：「呃，那麼，妳、認為……嗯，我們、我們應該要告訴大家？」

「不必著急。」Garnet沉聲答，並在對方露出落寞神情的同時吻了一下其眼角：「……不是存有猶豫，只是我想等塵埃落定後再宣布。」

鑽石來訪的畫面還是使她心神不寧，但她知道這些焦慮不會持續太久，畢竟她現在有一位誓言分勞解憂的未婚妻。

等到她們回到神殿，她就要將剛剛所見的未來全數告知。

「我相信妳已經計畫好了。」Pearl臉上浮現靦腆的笑容，索性抱住她的未婚妻的手臂。

Garnet幾乎快忘記這個舉動總能讓她內心一陣激昂，但她只是默默點頭，嘴角微揚，同時更在心裡列出一張備忘清單──關於她想為Pearl做的、希望Pearl能為她做的，以及想和Pearl一起執行的事。

「……妳認為五十公尺的蛋糕是必須的嗎？Steven總是向我強調婚禮蛋糕非要這樣盛大不可，但考慮到我不吃人類食物，還是寧可不了吧。」在踏上小屋的樓梯前，Pearl仍在細碎地道，與其說是在徵詢意見，不如說是在尋求認同。

「這個問題就留給Steven跟Amethyst去煩惱吧。」Garnet緩緩抽回了手，並輕聲在白皙的寶石人鬢邊道：「我比較想問今晚妳是否有空與我跳支舞。」

Pearl可以感覺到嵌有寶石的掌現在抵在她的後背，再往下一些就會抵達她的臀部。

嘴角上勾成魅惑的邪笑，半掩上的水色瞳孔此刻充滿挑逗，還有一句明顯具有戲弄意味的回應：「妳很清楚答案的。」

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 靈感來自媽吉(Nimaji)的圖  
> https://nimae04.tumblr.com/post/174049668356
> 
> 以及王若琳的Let's Start from Here  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEyESh3pblo


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